BT appoints former health secretary Hewitt

BT has appointed former health secretary Patricia Hewitt as its non-executive director. The Blairite MP lost her post last summer when new Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his front bench.

Hewitt, who left the Cabinet following the controversial doctor training schemes, will be expected to provide BT with guidance on “complex regulatory issues” from her previous role as Trade and Industry Secretary.

Hewitt had a rapid rise since entering Parliament in 1997, becoming Health Secretary in 2005. She was Trade and Industry Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality from 2001 to 2005, and Economic Secretary at the Treasury.

Hewitt is the MP for Leicester West. BT has also appointed Lloyds TSB chief executive Eric Daniels as a non-executive director. Both are thought to be initially paid an annual salary of £60,000 to attend nine board meetings a year. But this figure is expected to rise as they will take on additional committee responsibilities after joining the telecoms company.

Daniels joined the Lloyds TSB board in 2001 as a retail banking director, and was promoted to the top job in June 2003.